Pan lifter



Sept. 4, 1928.

v. D. HUGHEY ET AL PAN LIFTER Filed July '7, 1927 Patented Sept. 4, 1928. i

' UNITED STATES 1,683,19e1`v l -.zi'lii: NT oFFiciE. A

VLRGIL D, illustriert,` Osons n. MULLINs, Ann ravin Mv. Hueiin, or'. CALHOUN,

GEORGIA. Y

PAN LIr'rnn- Application filed July 7,.

This invention relates to -kitchen utensils and more particularly toY a pan.v lifter by means of'which a pie pan orthe like 'may be placed in or removed fromv an oven without danger of burning therhands orl arms upon a hot pan or portionsof a hot' oven.

One object ofthe inventaron is to provideV a pan lifterv so constructed that apan may be placed in or removed from an oven without it being necessary to extend a hand and portion of an armi into the oven thereby preventing the hand and armvv from being exposedV to excessive heat as well aspreventing danger of burns being received by Contact with a hot pan or portion ofl an oven. v

Another object of the invention is to provide the pan lifter with improved pan-engaging jaws yieldablyheld in position to grip` a pan and including portions to bear against the outer surfaces of the `side walls ofA the pan andV also portions to extend across the upper edgesof the walls.

Anotherobject of the invention Yis to prevent the jaws from slipping out of engagement with a pan but allow them to be easily released from the pan.

Another object of the invention is to` allow the pan' holder to be used for engaging pans of different sizes.

The invention is illustrated in the panying drawing, wherein Y Figure lV 's a top plan Vview ofthe irnproved pan lifter with a pan to beengaged thereby indicated by dotted lines;

Fig. 2is a View showing the improved pan lifter in side elevation;

Fig; 3 is a. transversel sectional view through the improved pan lifter taken on the'line 3-3 of Fig. Land V Fig. 4:' isa fragmentary sectional viewk taken on the line 4-4 Vof Fig. 3.'

The pan lifter constituting the subjectmatter of this' invention includes. a shank or staill consisting of a metal rod havingl one end portion bent downwardly to pro-` vide an arm 2' and at its other end carrying a handle 3 ofl wood or any other; desired material; By referring to Fig. 4, it will be seen that the forward portion vof the stall' 1 is circular in cross section, whereas the` rear portion is rectangular. This prevents the slide 4 from having rotary motion upon the staff.'v and limits its forwardV movement pan or the like.

192i?. serial 116.204,05.

thereon'` by engagement with the-shoulder 5 'formed' at the of the sta-ifi junction of the twoportions `j .The slide is preferably cast in one piece i although' other methods of manufacturing maybe adopted if seen Vfit and lis provided with a; dependingarni G which extends subspring' 9 which springis disposed; aboutlthe etait' with itsforward lend engagedI withan eye 10. The spring is under tension when: engaged` with the two eyes" 7 and lIO and:l constitutes resilient meansV yieldably resisting movement of the y.slide rearwardly upon the stall?. An acutating rod l1 whichexl tends longitudinally of the staff is slidably receivedk in the eye l2 of a guide 1B carried by the handle 3 and hasits'forwardl end` formed withfa hook or eye 14' loosely enn gaged in the" eye 7 and its rear end portion bent to form a finger-engaging loop 15'. Afl` tier forming the` loop l5, the yextreme end portion:r of the wire frolnwhich the actuat-` ing rod 111 is formed is twisted'aboutthe rod, as shown at 16', thereby` providing a brace which will prevent the loop l5v from being distorted whenthe actuating rodis drawn uponto move the vslide rearwardly upon the staff.

. or'jotherwise rigidly secured against its car rying4 arm. A coiled spring* 19l which may' be referred to as a yieldable pan-engaging element extends'longitudinally of the cross bar 17 with its ends engaged in openings" 20 formed in the ends of the cross bar, and this spring is so disposed with respect to the cross barthat when pressure is applied" to it it may move over the upper surface of the cross bar and thereby assume longitudinally curved contour' and. have4 snug fitting engagement with the walls yof a-'pie l Each jaw also includes ay yoke 2l which lis formed ofwire bent intermediate its'length tovprovide arms 22 which at'25 so that the yoke will .besecurely heldV project `from the cross bar in orderto extend across the upper edge `of the wallsfgot the to the carrying arm, as shown clearly 'in Fig. 3. The depending ends 24 of the wire from Vwhich the yoke is formed are passed' through openings formed in the cross .bar and riveted against displaoement`,`a`s shown i in 'placevand the joined `end-portions ofthe in ai cake or pieur with resultingfdamage -thereto when placing apan infari oven or upwardly, as shown at 26, so thatthere will be no danger of thembecoming embedded removing a panpfroxnv the oven.

When the. pan'lifter is in use,

e ydrawn to them, V,theyaremoved into place with the staltextending ,diametrically across the pan and the jaws `disposed at oppositesides thereof. The pulling action exerted upon the actuatingrod 11 is relieved and the spring9 willdraw theslide toward its original position and as this ,takes place` the two springs will engage the'` walls of .the pie pan. This causes the springs to .be

- bowed longitudinally, as shown infliig.` 4, so

that the jawshave close fitting engagement`V with the walls' of the z pan. The arms V22 extend across the upperedges of: the walls of lthe pan and thefpan willbe ver firmly hen so g`engaged, theA Van" may be lifted Vv with the pan'holder an either placed in or removed. from .an oven without it being necessary to pass alhand and portion of an arm into the hot oven thereby doing away with the danger of a hand Vor arm being subjected to ex# cessiveheat or burntby contacting .with a hot `pan orportion of an oven.` 'y In order to A release the pan, itis merely, necessary. to grasp the actuating rod by its loop and j.; exert pulling' action which will draw the slide rearwardly upon the s tail` a" suiiicien't distancetol permit lthe pan holder to be `moved upwardly out Vof engagement with the pan.

.Having claim: l.

. 1.. A pan lifter comprising a shankA hav-` ing av depending supporting'arm at one end,

a slide carried by said shank and movable Athus y described the invention, We

A longitudinally thereof, and, pan-engaging jaws 'carried by said slide and arm, `each jaw including a cross barand yieldable pan-engaging means carried bythe cross bar. 2.V A pan lifter comprising a shank havslide carrie ing adependingsupporting arm atone end,

jcarriedby said arm and the depending.'por-f tionof said slide," each jaw consisting of a crossbar and a pan-en aging spring extending longitudinally of t e cross bar andhaving its ends securedto the cross bar.

" 3. A pan lifter` comprising a shank Vhavdis Ving a depending supporting armi-abone end [a slide'carried bysaidfshank and movabld arms 22 and anchoring `member`23 are bent 'longitudinally thereof, theslideA having ai" portion depending from the shank',"jaws` car?` riedfby said `arm andtheV depending portion of said slide, one. Vjaw 4includlng 'a horizontal cross .bar secured intermediate .its ends and. curved lon tudinal1y, fa Spring `extending between au connected Ajwith.the ends of 'said cross bar `for `yielding` engagement `wi'th".` the .Walls Offre.` pan," a yoke for extendingacross j andengaging the upper'edge of. theflpanji" wall, and actuating means lfor said slide.

4. Apan liftercomprifsing a shankhaving a depjendiner supporting arm at one end, a by said 'shank and movable lon- V slide carrie gitudinallythereof, anLengagng jaws caryieldable pan-engaging means, vresilient "means yieldably. resisting movement of saidslide away `from `said arm, Yandjmeans for l moving the slideaway fromthe arm in op lee positionto the action of said resilient means.,

i A pan lifter comprising a shank shaving.`

a.; dependinvr supporting.l armiat- One end, a

gitudinally thereof,` the slide havin@ 8J. .der pending supporting arm, :jaws carried5 byfthe supporting arms o each including arigid crossban carriedby a supporting farm. .transversely thereof'` and projecting. from opposite sides thereof, ae

coiled sprn extending longitudinally of by saidshank and movable Ion-'y` los said bar an spacedtherefrom throughoutthe greater portion of its length andhaying itsfends. securedthereto, a panfen aging yoke carried by saidcross barand paving arms for, extendin acrosslthe upper edge of walls'of a pan an actuating meansforsaid Slide.,

6.`A a dependin'gsupportmg arm Aatene end, a' slide carried'by said` shank and movable lon-L gitudinally"` thereof,[jaws carried by said arm and slide -orgripping portions of the walls of a pan disposed between the ijaws andeach including a rigid cross bar Vdisposed horizontally and curved longitudinally; a coiledspring extending between andsecured to'thejends of said crossbar and constitut- Y ing a yieldablepan-engagin element, a yoke carried by said cross bar and including panengaging arms and a support-engaging portion connecting the same, and actuating means for said slide.

7. A pan lifter comprising a shank having a depending arm, a slide carried by'said shank and slidable thereon towards tand away from said arm, the slide having a depending arm, jaws carried by said arms for gripping a pan disposed between the jaws, and yokes carried by said jaws to engage over the walls of a pan gripped between the jaws, each yoke consisting of a strand b ent intermediate its length to provide va collar fitting about an arm and having portions projecting therefrom over the cooperating 15 jaw and bent back'npon themselves and en downwardly and secured to the jaw.

In testimony whereof we affix our signa- 

